Career Cat

Career Cat

- Irene A. Flores

’IM SORRY,” BONNIE’S best friend Cleo meowed one morning. Bonnie had just wandered into the library from her home in the alley. “You’re going to have to get a job if you want to keep the canned tuna coming.”

First, Bonnie tried looking at Cleo with her big, pleading Siamese-blue eyes. That usually got her a couple pieces of kitty-kibble, at the very least. But what Bonnie really liked best was tuna.

“Right now all I can afford is dry food,” her friend insisted.

Bonnie let her tail droop in defeat and sat down hard on her bottom. She looked up at Cleo, the library’s resident black cat, and asked how she had gotten her job.

“It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.” Cleo sat like a queen atop her pile of books, her black tail twitching back and forth. “You have to be firm and you have to meow at the humans just right.”

Bonnie thought she could do that. Library work didn’t sound too hard. Bonnie could stare at humans evilly until they picked up a book. She could dust the shelves with her tail, even if it was a bit petite. Never mind that her stare was awkward and clueless instead of scary like Cleo’s.

“Fine,” Cleo said. “I guess I could take you on as an assistant.”

With a mighty leap, Bonnie tried to climb onto a bookshelf. But for such a young kitten, Bonnie possessed an enormous bottom. To her horror, it pulled her back down with an awful crash.

“Try again,” Cleo hissed in annoyance.

And Bonnie did try. Again and again and again.